my son has been diagnosed with mild mental retardation if i home school him can it go away? he is 4?

Question

i want to teach him at home so he can start kindergarten.

Answer 1

I grew up with a sister who has Downs Syndrome, and she inspired me to become a special education teacher, so I have been living with people with developmental disabilities for most of my life. If your son has mild mental retardation, it won't go away, but with good educational programs, he can learn a lot. My sister was considered moderately retarded, and she still learned to read and write, and to do basic math. As an adult, she travels by public transit to her job, she has a boyfriend, and she is one of the happiest people I know.
I would not recommend home schooling for a number of reasons. The biggest reason is that kids belong with kids. Children learn so much from being with each other. Developing appropriate social skills is the single most important factor in your child's future success. As a special education teacher, I tell the parents of my students that in the end, it will matter less what the person's reading and math levels are than whether they are pleasant to be with.
Another important reason for your child to be in school is that he will have access to people with years of experience in helping kids with special learning needs - not just the teacher, but - depending on your child's needs - speech and language specialists, occupational therapists (who help develop fine motor skills needed for writing, etc.), adaptive physical education specialists, etc. etc. Not even the most dedicated parent can equal the services that can be available through your public school.
Your son is legally entitled to a free appropriate public education, and you as his mother are entitled to participate in the development of his Individual Education Plan. That means that you get to help decide what goals your son should have assistance to achieve, whether it is learning the letters of the alphabet, learning to feed himself with appropriate manners, putting together a puzzle, or learning how to play cooperatively with other children. He is also entitled to early intervention services, and I highly recommend getting him involved in a preschool program as soon as possible.
There are a lot of possible options for your son's education. One may be full-inclusion, in which he is enrolled in a regular class with other children his own age. He would have special supports, perhaps even an assistant assigned to him, to help him be successful. Another option is a special preschool class for children with disabilities. Sometimes this is a better option if the child is shy with others, or if he has difficult behaviors, because the class size is small and the staff is trained in ways to teach not only academic and preacademic skills but also in social and behavioral skills. Sometimes there is a "hybrid" sort of program, where children with special needs spend part of the day in a regular class and part of the day in a special class.
You will need support to be able to get the best services for your child. As a previous answer indicated, the ARC is a good place to start. UCP and Easter Seals are also good agencies to ask for information. Depending on what state you live in, the public agencies for services for developmental disabilities have different names. In California, where I live, the Regional Centers have case managers that help families get the services they need, and the SELPAs (Special Education Local Plan Areas) are responsible for special ed, including for preschoolers. Try looking in the phone book under social services for people with developmental disabilities or mental retardation. You can also call the office of your local school district and ask them about programs for children with special needs. It's also really helpful to connect with other parents in your area and learn from their experiences.
Good luck! I know from experience that people with mental retardation can have wonderful, happy, and productive lives, and your son is lucky to have a mom who wants to do the best thing for him.

Answer 2

As a parent of a child with Down Syndrome, I can tell you that mental retardation does not "go away". It is something that your child was born with, not a disease, but most likely, a genetic or chromosomal abnormality. You should absolutely spend time with him to help prepare him for kindergarten, just like you would any other child. Recognize that it may take a little longer for somethings, but those milestones will be awesome when they are accomplished. I don't know where you live, but under the public school system, he is entitled to so many services he may or may not need -- you really need to think long and hard about home schooling him. Also, he is entitled to early intervention services right now -- I hope someone has been helping you along with this. These may include preschool, speech therapy, etc. If you haven't been in touch with your school district, you need to do so. Also, the stimulation from being around "typical" kids will be great for your child. Ask your pediatrician for help, also. Also, the national chapter of ARC (Association for Retarded Citizens) can help. Use your computer and see all that available for you! Good luck. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I am a preschool teacher at a preschool for children with disabilities. Mental retardation is permanent. However, the sooner you get services for your child (through your local school district, who will pay for them) the better off your son will be. It doesn't matter if you homeschool or choose to put him in classes at your local public school... it is the fact that he is continually learning. The more you can help him with now, the better for his future. Mental retardation will not go away... but you can help him learn. Talk to your doctor or social service worker (the person who diagnosed the mild mental retardation) and ask about services available to your son. Then call your local school district to get a plan going for him (called an IEP, or if he doesn't qualify for that, ask for a 504plan that can help deal with issues related to how your child is dealt with in class). Whether or not you decide to homeschool is an entirely personal decision, but know that whatever you do, you have the right to fight for what is necessary for your son. Do not sign ANYTHING unless you are completely satisfied with the services you are offered. If you do not sign, they cannot enforce anything until you do, and you have the right to an arbitration meeting to challenge everything you disagree with. These are things the school district will NOT tell you... they want to spend as little money as possible to educate your child, but push for what you need for your son. Check out the laws for people with disabilities by looking up IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) on the internet. It will give you all your rights.

Answer 4

mental retardation is a condition that cannot be cured. however, with the right education and support, your son can go on to be a functioning, productive member of society. parenting a child with mental retardation can be very challenging and i recommend that you look into finding a support group so you can have an outlet. i'm not sure that homeschooling your son is necessarily the best idea. if you send him to school, there are teachers that are trained to specifically teach and tailor instruction for special needs children. go talk to the preschools and the kindergartens in your area to see what you need to do to best help your child.

Answer 5

Since your child is diagnosed with a disability, he is entitled by law to a free and appropriate public education. Take advantage of that, because special education teachers are specially trained to use many different methods and interventions to teach children with disabilities. Mental retardation does not go away, as many other people answering your question have stated. However, with early intervention and specially trained teachers, your child can learn many more skills than you are equipped to teach him. He can still go into Kindergarten (either a special education class or a general education class with accomodations- as determined by the IEP team which you are a part of!). He will benefit from being with other children (social skills), he will learn to function as a part of a group (independent functioning, following directions), and will have many benefits besides the academic growth. It may take him longer to learn things, but he will make better progress, in my opinion, if he is in school with specially trained teachers teaching him.

Answer 6

It won't go away but any work you do with him at home will give him a headstart towards kindergarten. He may also qualify for special services for preschool children through your local school district. My son is high function autistic with social and communication delays and was able to attend a 1/2 day preschool program for children with special needs at the public school. It made his transition to kindergarten seamless. I'd definitely recommend checking into it.

Answer 7

You should qualify for free services through the state...tap into as many as possible (such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy etc.)

If you use these resources in addition to homeschool (but also provide social activites such as play groups) then you may be able minimize the effects of mental retardation.

It may be too late to completely eliminate it but through proper intervention and education, he should be able to function normally.

I would not be in a rush to get him ready for school. Perhaps if you held him back one year before going to kindergarten, it would be less pressure on you and him. And maybe even home-schooling for the first few years may be beneficial for him and you can enroll him in third or fourth grade when it's time.

Contact your local early childhood resource and referral agency. Just type that plus the name of your town or county into a search engine and you should be able to find it. That's a great place to start.

Answer 8

School is not the issue, Brain function is. Why not talk to your hospital psychiatrist.

No matter what the situation is, always play quietly, in the background, Classical music, Continuously play Cd's with the Nursery Rhymes on them, play Cd's with the phonics on them and by all means hold the child and read to him. At five, start him on a musical instrument, learning to read music.

Never say NO about his learning capability, support, support, support. Weather he will get better or not is GODS will. I certainly would not profess to know anything about how the human brain works.

No matter how the schooling is done, you certainly have your work cut out for you. And as always, it is love, caring, giving more than spoken, human touch, not THINGS given.

Nothing heels like the female hands on the face or her simple touch!

Answer 9

Mental retardation is a developmental disorder and unfortunately there is no "cure" for it. Special education can mask the effects associated with the disorder. Once your kid starts school, you have the tight under the law to demand the best education for your child. Hope evertyhing works for you and your kid!

Answer 10

if your child was diagnosed with mental retardation it wont go away it would probably be a better enviroment for him but eventually he will need to be involed with kids outside of the house becuase he cant be craddled in the home forever eventually he will have to enter the real world becuase being in a house with just mom is going to teach him independence and let hiom have confidence in himself

Answer 11

I'm not sure. I do have an opinion on home-schooling though. I know this kid who is 14 who is home-schooled. I told him that I was 16 going on 17, and my bf was 18.........and he belived us, completely.
I am 12 & he is 13. N he is even very short 4 his age. To get to the point, If u home-school ur kid 4 that long, they lack & social skills.
I think it would be harmless to home-school now, but don't continue it after age 7 or 8.
Good Luck! ;-)